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Learning Module 3
 
Reading Skills
 
Course Packet 01
 
Improving Vocabulary Skills
thru Context Clues and
Word Structures
 
 
 
 

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Learning Module: English Skills Enhancement 3

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Introduction

As you progress through school, you are asked to read increasingly complex informational texts
in your courses. Since many of your academic requirements are reading-based, learning how to maximize
your reading skills is indispensable to your success as a student.

But what is reading anyway? Reading is an interactive process that goes on between the reader
and the text, resulting in comprehension. It is always an interaction between the text and the reader. The
text presents letters, words, sentences and paragraphs that encode meaning. The reader uses knowledge,
skills and strategies to determine what that meaning is. We read to gain and share information and ideas
whether for academic, personal or professional purposes.

Reading is a skill that can be improved through consistent practice. In order to comprehend the
text, we may apply many skills simultaneously while we read; identifying the author’s purpose, grasping
the main ideas of the text, locating important details, using context clues, word structures to understand
unfamiliar words, answering specific questions, analyzing the text’s points and critiquing the text.

Your active engagement in this skill will help to develop in you both the ability and confidence to
handle communication situations you may encounter beyond the classroom.

Pre- Assessment. Building your Word Power

TIME BOUNDED ACTIVITY FOR VOCABULARY CHECK-UP. (15-20 MINUTES)

1. Describe yourself honestly

2. Write your name in this page all the way down (First Name/Middle Initial/Surname)

3. Write all your positive qualities (Adjectives) beginning with each of the letter of your name. Use
one word modifier for each letter. No repetition of word.

4. Indicate the exact number of minutes you consumed in writing if you eat the time. Then if not,

5. Know yourself better. Learn more words to describe yourself if you are not able to finish at the
given time.

Example:

First Name Middle Initial Surname Nickname (verb) (adverb)

A –miable Q-uick B-rave A-ct A-ccordingly
N- ice E-ven N-eed N-icely
G-enerous N-eat G-row G-raciously
E-nergetic D-iligent E-ncode E-xactly
L-oving A-ffable L-ive L-avishly
A-ctive N-utty
A-dorable
Q-uick

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You can also use verbs to name all the things you do or maybe adverbs to describe how well you do
things. Improve your vocabulary, start with your name, ambition, the place you want to reach etc.

Just checking your vocabulary stocks.

Learn to love it just like a game. ENJOY and know the difference!

First Name Middle Initial Surname Nickname (verb) (adverb)

Lesson Proper
 
A wide range of vocabulary is indeed your one effective weapon in meeting with
confidence the challenges of your course.

But how can you perform well and meet the minimum standard of college work if your
vocabulary is very limited? Dr. Rudolf Flesch and A.H. Lass recommended five easy steps to
build up your vocabulary:

1. Read. You can’t make friends if you don’t meet anybody. In the same way, you can’t build
up a vocabulary if you never meet any new words. Keep on reading and keep meeting
unfamiliar words. Have a notebook where you write these unfamiliar words.
2. Look up unfamiliar words in the dictionary. Read everything the dictionary says about the
word. Determine its pronunciation, derivation, what it means, and what other words are
connected with it. Be sure you find the meaning that fits exactly into the sentence in which
you found the word.
3. Say the word. Get used to the way it is pronounced. Pronounce the word the way the
dictionary says you should, and say it aloud often.
4. Use the word. You can never say the word is yours unless you use it. Get the word off in
speaking as if it had always been yours.
5. Keep in touch with your vocabulary. As we have said, knowing words is like knowing
people. If you don’t keep in touch with them, you love them and even forget their names. So
keep up with your latest word acquaintances. Keep on using them and watch how fast your
vocabulary grow.

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 Brief Lesson.

WORD STRUCTURE
Everything we see around us can be given its name, its description, its color and shapes.
How does a thing look like, how does one behave, how does one react can be described through
the use of words.
A word is either a root word standing alone. It may be a two or three part word.
Examples:
Two part word
Act-ion
Act (root word), -ion (suffix)
Three part word
Re/act/ion
Re- (prefix), act (root word), -ion (suffix)

(Word Production Activity for each of the prefixes and suffixes is advisable for
vocabulary enhancement – individually or by group.)

Common Prefixes
 Ante / (before) ante / date (to date, as in a paper on an earlier day than that on which the actual
writing is done)
 Anti / (against) anti / rust (a chemical or a process that prevents or retards rusting of metal)
 Bi / (two, twice) bilingual (two languages)
 Chron / (time) chronicle (record of events in order of time)
 Co, com, col, con / (with / together) coworker, working together in an office or factory,
(colleague) companion in an office
 De / (down, reversing) dehydrate (deprive of water)
 Dis / (to negate) disfavor (being out of favor)
 Mis / (wrong, unfavorable) misplaced (not properly kept)
 Re / (again) reexamine (to examine again)
 Tri / (three) tricycle (three wheeled motor vehicle)
 Un, ir, in (not) unstable (not stable) irregular (not regular) inhuman (not human)
 Uni / (one) uniform (having the same form)

Common Suffixes
 Able, ible – (capable of being) indefatigable
 Ance, ence – (state, condition, quality) competence
 Action, ition – (condition or the act of) education
 Full – (gull of characterized by) respectful
 Ious, ous – (full of or the nature of) gorgeous
 Ise, ize – (to make like or effect with) mobilize
 Ish – (belonging to, like) reddish (having the shade/tint of red)
 Less – (without, loose from) hopeless (loosing hope)
 Ly – (like) motherly (like a mother)
 Ness – (state, condition, quality) greatness

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  Ship – ( condition, skill, character) relationship
Suffix when added to a word can change its part of speech.

a. Making verbs into nouns

 Al: culture + al = cultural
 Ure: seize + ure = seizure
 Y: discover + y = discovery
 Ment: encourage + ment = encouragement
 Ance: comply + ance = compliance
 Action: educate + action = education
 Sion: admit + sion = admission
 Er: manage + er = manager
 Or: conduct + or = conductor

b. Making adjectives into nouns

 Ness: lovely + ness = loveliness
 Ity: familiar + ity = familiriaty
 Ism: regional + ism = regionalism

c. Making nouns into adjectives

 Ish: fool + ish = foolish
 Y: mood + y = moody
 Ly: friend + ly = friendly
 Ous: poison + ous = poisonous
 Ary: parliament + ary parliamentary
 Ic: microscope + ic = microscopic
 Less: motion + less = motionless
 Ful: fear + ful = fearful

d. Making verbs into adjectives

 Ive: decorate + ive = decorative
 Ent: excell + ent = excellent
 Able: rely + able = reliable

e. Making adjectives into adverb

 Ly: gradual + ly = gradually

f. Making nouns and adjectives into verbs

 Ate: gradual + ate = graduate
 Ize: colony + ize = colonize
CONTEXT CLUES

1. “As a large crowd of mourners streamed inside the church, Grandpa’s favorite song reverberated
through the air.”
2. “His 24-hectare land which he acquired through his inexhaustible industry in his work as a tiller
of soil was loaded with bitter sweet memories.”

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 3. “During World War II, his parents, brothers and sisters, succumbed to malaria that despite of
their efforts to contain the disease, ten of his fourteen siblings died.

Try to give the meaning of the following words based on how each is used in the sentence above.

Definition of reverberated:

Definition of inexhaustible:

Definition of succumbed:

In the sentence above, the context-the words surrounding the unfamiliar word provide clues to the
meaning of that unfamiliar word. You may have guessed from the context reverberated means reechoed.

‘Grandpa’s favorite song and through the air’ are the surrounding words, the context words that
provide meaning to reverberated.

On the other hand, inexhaustible means tireless. ‘Industry in his work as a tiller of soil’
serves as a context clues.

Succumbed means died. The context clues, the surrounding words that give clues are ‘despite of
these efforts to contain the disease, 10 out of 14 children died of malaria.’

One way of making it easier to give meaning to a word is to study its surrounding words in the sentence.
Analyze the relevance of the unfamiliar word with the others, how it is used and you will come up with
fairly accurate guess of what it means. This is giving the meaning of the word through contextual clues.

The following are excellent reasons for learning to use context clues in giving meaning to
unfamiliar words.

 Use context clues in understanding the meaning of new books for this will help you save
time from reading.
 When you have figured out the meaning of a word more than once. It becomes your
habit to give meaning of words based on context. This will eventually increase your
word power simply through thoughtful reading.
 Finally, with the help of context clues, you will develop a good sense of how a word is
actually used and its shades of meaning.

Types of Context Clues:

 Examples
 Synonyms
 Antonyms
 General Sense of the Sentence or Passage

A. Examples

Sometimes a text will give you an example of the word that sheds light on its meaning.

I knew Mark’s ailurophobia was in full force because he began trembling and stuttering when he
saw my cat, Ludwig, slink out from under the bed.

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Although ailurophobia is an unknown word, the sentence gives an example of its effects. Based on this
example, a reader could confidently surmise that the word means a fear of cats.

Also, you may look for signal words such as, for instance and for example. These words signal that a
word’s meaning may be revealed through an example.

B. Synonyms

Context clues are most often found in the form of synonyms: words that mean the same as unfamiliar
word in the sentence. In many instances, synonyms are set off by punctuations in the sentence like
commas, dashes, or parentheses. They may also be introduced by or and that is. Still, in some cases, a
synonym may be a restatement of the meaning of the unfamiliar word.

Example:

1. Dehydration can make one feel sluggish – habitually lazy and idle. This condition can be
reenergized by a glass or two of water.
Definition of sluggish: habitually lazy or idle

C. Antonyms

Words and phrases that mean the opposite of a word are also very useful as context clues. Simple and
correlative conjunction which have the idea of in contrast like yet, but, however, on the other hand, and
in contrast often signal antonyms.

Examples:

1. Lynne will be asking for words that will bolster her sagging self-worth and she will be told of her
skills and abilities that are important for her. The antonym of bolster is .

In the first sentence, the meaning of bolster is to prop up as support, thus its antonym is sagging.

D. Using Connotation and Denotation

Another way of improving your comprehension of a text is by trying to understand the different
meanings that particular words can have. Words only make sense to us if we understand what they
mean. Two ways of describing the meaning of a word are called denotation and connotation. Denotation
is the basic, precise, literal meaning of the word that can be found in a dictionary. Connotation,
meanwhile, is the positive, negative, or neutral feelings, attitudes, ideas, or associations with a word.
These shades of meaning are affected by social overtones, emotional meanings, or cultural implications.

To illustrate the difference between denotation and connotation, compare the following meanings
of the words “father” and “daddy”:

Father

Denotation: a male parent.

Connotation: -association: positive; feelings: love and respect
Daddy

Denotation: a male parent.

Connotation: -association: positive; feelings: love, familiarity, childhood

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 The denotations of “father” and “daddy” are synonymous because they both pertain to a male
parent. However, denotations do not reveal the individual responses of people to a word. “Daddy” is
more connotative than “father,” even though they denote the same thing because many children have
fond memories of their fathers. Of course, this does not discount that each reader has a different
relationship with his or her father. Two words may have the same definition but can have different
emotional content.

Connotations, therefore, portray more multifaceted definitions of a word whether these are
positive, negative, or neutral. Positive connotations are generally favorable associations toward a word.
Negative connotations, meanwhile, tend to have unfavorable feelings or ideas toward a word. Neutral
connotations bring up impartial associations towards a word.

Let us apply these to the following example: Compare the associations with the words “house,”
“home,” and “shanty.” All of these words denote places where people live.

Which of these connotations is positive? Negative? Neutral? A “house” has a neutral connotation
because it is a “building in which someone lives:’ A “home” has a more positive connotation because it
brings to mind “a place of warmth and comfort and familiarity.” Finally, a “shanty” has a negative
connotation because it is associated with poverty; it is a “small, crudely built shack.”

Usually, your knowledge of how a word is used and the context clues in the will help you to
determine the type of connotation. To further illustrate this, let us look at the following situation:

Archie has two aunts: Tita Jennifer and Tita Joanna. Tita Jennifer is proud of her nephew;
meanwhile, Tita Joanna does not favor him so much. This disposition may color the language that they
use.

For example, Archie likes to save money while he is shopping.

Tita Jennifer says: He is thrifty.

Tita Joanna says: He is stingy.
Both words talk about saving money, but their connotations are different. “Thrifty” used in this
sense means that Archie values his money and knows how to look for bargains. However, “stingy”
suggests that Archie is greedy and selfish with his money.

Another example is that Archie is a hard worker.

Tita Jennifer says: He is very focused on his job.

Tita Joanna says: He is very obsessed with his job.
Both words talk about paying close attention to the job; the difference is in their connotation.
“Focused” hints at Archie’s dedication and interest in his job, while “obsessed” implies that he is a
workaholic. The examples above show that even two words listed as synonyms are not exactly the same.

Analyzing the connotation and denotation of a word helps us to be sensitive to the meaning it
communicates. Your knowledge of context clues will help you see how a word is used in a sentence; this
analysis helps you to be sensitive to the word’s shades of meaning because a word’s connotations can
create different impressions for readers.

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Enhancement Activities
ACTIVITY 1. Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

1. The prefix ad- means ”to” or “toward”. When you support something and call others to
accept your point of view, you are__________ its support.

2. A regressive move is a move back: an _______ move would mean a move to or toward.

3. When a person has a smile that lures or attracts, people call him _____.

4. “De – is another prefix, When you turn down an invitation, you_____ it.

5. The peace- and- order situation in the country is said to be rapidly going down from bad to
worse. We can say that it is____________.

6. When a person’s spirit is low, we would infer that he is_________.

ACTIVITY 2. Word Production: Fill out the blanks with words based on the underlined words.

1. When you exhaust all your energy do you say, “I’m .

2. A righteous person does all things .
3. Dishwashing liquid ads say, “economical.” That means you can .
4. Environmental sanitation like proper waste disposal helps save the .
5. Literate people usually read the . at the back of the product.
6. Our life must be full of meaning because you are not .
7. For you not to be addressed as “stupid,” don’t show your .
8. When applying for a job, you have to fill out the . form.
9. Don’t always rely to people simply because not everyone is .
10. . persons are those who also honor and respect the rights of others.

ACTIVITY 3. Giving meaning to words thru context clues by examples. Figure out the meaning of the
underlined word in the sentence by studying the examples that serve as context clues.

1. When you are stressed out, when you don’t get the hours of sleep you need, when you are not
able to talk to God, and miss a couple of days of exercise, then none of that means it is
detrimental to your health, your looks and your vitality.
Detrimental means
2. Research has discovered that ginger has a strong circulatory stimulant.
Stimulant means
3. Home is a sanctuary, where we rest, revive and regroup at the end of chaotic days. Make it its
comfortable best.
Sanctuary means

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 4. Offers of appliance store such as “nothing down, no payment, no interest” are tempting but these
deals are often filled with confusion and pitfalls. Better yet, skip the hype and buy what you can
with the cash you have.
Hype means

ACTIVITY 4. Denotation and Connotation

Write sentence for each word in the series that follows, making sure your details reinforce each
word’s connotations.

1. Stroll, trudge, loiter

2. Turmoil, anarchy, hubbub
3. Tour, pilgrimage, vacation
4. Enemy, antagonist, opponent
5. Dress, attire, vestment

Generalization

Identify the type of context clues used for each of the following sentences.
Synonyms* Antonyms* Examples* General Sense of the Sentence or Passage

1. I saw a man vaping his e-cigarette. He was inhaling and exhaling the vapor from
the device.
2. Contactless payment technologies, unlike traditional modes of payments, make
use of smart cards to connect wirelessly to e-readers for more efficient payment.
3. Signing an online petition, sharing a status message or liking a post are
increasingly regarded as actions falling under slacktivism, a digital form of
activism with little involvement.
4. Some parents are anti-vax-that is, anti-vaccinations because they believe these
chemicals may trigger autism in students.
5. Some people like making duck faces, or pressing their lips together in the shape
of a duck’s bill, when they take selfies.
6. “Watch this video to discover the meaning of life! ” “This beggar’s response will
restore your faith in humanity!” and “See how one woman made a million pesos
from her living room” are types of headlines called click baits.
7. Advances in neuromorphic technology have excited many scientists. These
systems that mimic the human nervous system show much promise in the field of
medicine.

*These words are taken from Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the year 2014.”

Learning Module: English Skills Enhancement 12

Application. Copy two quotable quotes. Underline the (abstract) nouns and form other part of speech
from them. Be able to share the quotes to the class including your reflection.

Course Discussion Forum

What does this quote imply?

“If a person can say what he thinks and not what other people have thought for him, he is on his
way of being a remarkable man.”

Forming Words: See how each of the underlined words changed its form.

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

Response Respond Responsive Responsively

Power Empower Powerful Powerfully

Responsibility

Post-Assessment. Match the underlined words in the sentences with the word in column B.

A B
1. The person who donated a a. scarcity
big amount did not want
his name to be published.
He preferred to remain
anonymous.

2. You better stay in a b. strange

conspicuous place or else
you will not be seen
easily.

3. The dearth of capable c. noticeable

manpower le to the
closure of the factory.

4. He is an ostentatious d. showing off

person. Everybody knows
what he has and what he
knows.

5. Everybody wanted him to e. unknown

be the leader. The

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 members unanimously
voted for him.

6. Talking to people from all f. completely agreeing

walks of life is an
inevitable aspect of your
mission. You cannot do
your job without it.

7. His long testimonies was g. irrelevant

not related at all with the
case. It was, therefore,
considered impertinent.

8. Don Marcos has done a lot h. one who does things for
to uplift the living the love of mankind
conditions of people in th
slums. He is indeed a
philanthropist.

9. Linda was amazed to see i. cannot be avoided

many visitors on her
birthday. It was indeed a
surprised party for her.

10. The old man had a j. surprised

peculiar smile on his face
in spite of the pain he
seemed to suffer from.
This puzzled me a bit.

References.

Avila, Cruz, Trajano (2003) Essentials of English. Valenzuela City Mutya Publishing House Inc.

“The APA Style: General Format. “Purdue OWL. S September 2015.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owlresource/560/01

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Learning Module 3
 
Reading Skills
 
Course Packet 02
 
Strategies for Reading Texts
with Different Structures
 
 
 
 

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Course Code : ESEN0113
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Learning Module: Purposive Communication 3

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Introduction

Reading is an active process of understanding print and graphic test. Reading is a

thinking process. Effective readers know that when they read, what they read is supposed to
make sense. They monitor their understanding and when they use the meaning of what they
are reading, they often unconsciously select a reading strategy such as re-reading or asking
questions that will help them reconnect with the meaning of the text.

Effective readers use strategies to understand what they read, before, during and
after reading.

Before Reading

Strategic readers preview the text by looking at the title and the next to evoke
relevant thoughts, memories and associations. They build background by questioning
themselves to see what they already know about the topic, the form in which the topic is
presented, and the vocabulary that might communicate the ideas about the topic. They set
purposes for reading by asking themselves what they want to learn or experience by reading
the selection.

During Reading

Strategic readers create a dialogue with the author, striving to reformulate what the
author is saying. They check their understanding of the text by paraphrasing the author’s
words and they monitor it by imagining, inferring, predicting and confirming. They integrate
their new understanding with existing knowledge. They are continually revising their
purposes for reading as they read.

After Reading

Strategic readers summarize what they have been reading and contemplate their first
impressions. They reflect and take second look to develop more thoughtful and critical
interpretations of the text. Finally, they make applications of the ideas encountered in the text
by extending these ideas to broader perspectives (Flood & Lapp, 1991). Successful language
learners adapt these strategies as they construct meaning from a variety of oral, written and
visual text and experiences.

Pre-Assessment. Fill out the reading inventory below:

1. Rate the following items from I (least ) to 5 (most) I like to read.

______ mysteries ______ science fiction ______ fantasy

______ romance ______ history ______ current events

______ biographies ______ war stories ______ adventures

______ novels ______ short stories ______ plays

______ sports ______ poems ______ others

1. I love to read in
____ classroom ____ my room ____ the car ____ library

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____ living room ____ garden ____ playground ____ kitchen

____ others _________________________________________

2. Check all that applies at home

____ newspaper (tabloids) ____ newspaper (broadsheets)
____ comic books ____ dictionaries
____ encyclopedias ____ novels (tagalog)
____children’s books ____ novels (English)
____ others __________________________________________
3. I read better when _______________________________________________.
4. Whenever I encounter a difficult word I _______________________________.
5. To improve my comprehension skills I __________________________________.
6. Whenever I read newspapers, magazines or any reading materials I _________.

Answer these questions.

1. What kind of reading materials do you usually read?

2. What strategies do you use when you read?
3. Do you find these strategies useful?
4. What do you do to improve your comprehension skills?

Lesson Proper
 
The Secret of Getting Good Grades

How many weeks have you been in school? You have just got over the hurdle of applying in
this university and organizing yourself in preparation for this new phase of your life. You are
in college to prepare for a career. Like any other student, you aspire to do well in school. This
means getting good grades and passing courses to get credits for the degree you have chosen
to pursue.

College is a lot different. You are on your own, and oftentimes, you feel that nobody cares if
you make it or not. Therefore, if you are determined to stay on and do well in school, you
have to figure out a study system that gets result. Here are study tips that guarantee solid
outcomes

Choose the right study place. How do you feel when you are watching a movie and the
person seated beside you is talking? Most likely you feel irritated because you are distracted
and cannot concentrate on the movie.

Have you ever tried listening to a lecture and talking to your seatmate at the same time?
Listening to two speakers on two different topics can be very tough. You may miss out on
important parts of the lecture and conversation.

Most (if not all) of us cannot pay attention to two things at one time. When you listen to one
for a second and switch to the other afterwards, your concentration jumps back and forth.
You do not get the full story from either person.

The same thing happens when you do your homework while you are listening to music. Your
brain cannot work properly, be honest and admit it. Therefore, turn off the radio and focus on

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your homework. This way, you will get done. Soon after that, you can listen to music and
enjoy it.

What then is the right study place? It is any quiet place where you can study without anyone
bothering you. Sitting alone to study will allow you concentrate on what you are doing. It
may be boring, but you have to do it.

Get into a study frame of mind. When you sit down, do it with the attitude that you are
really going to get this studying done. You are not there to daydream or to do other things,
like read your recently acquired bestseller or make plans for your next jaunt to a resort
outside Metro Manila.

Promise to give yourself rewards. You can make yourself psychologically ready for studying
by promising to reward yourself afterwards. Tell yourself that after your have worked very
hard and you are done, you will give yourself that well-deserved present. This treat can be a
cone of your favorite ice cream, a big glass of that special halo-halo you have been dreaming
of for days, or a trip to your favored mall.

Skim the textbook first. Many students sit down to do an assignment like “Read Chapter
Eight, pages 220-250,” and do just that. They start reading the assigned pages and they end
up not remembering anything at all!

To avoid this, skim the chapter first: Read the title, the subtitles, the headings, the first and
last paragraphs, and then look at the pictures, if there are any. Skimming will give you an
idea of what the chapter is about and it will help you understand what you are reading once
you are at it.

Take note on what you are studying. Is the book you are reading yours? If it is, go over the
chapter after you have read it and jot down key words and phrases in the margin. These
marginal notes will make it easier for you to recall what you have read when you review for a
test or a graded recitation.

If the book does not belong to you, use a page of your notebook for your notes. Write down
definitions, examples, lists and main ideas. This way the entire chapter will be transformed
into a single-page manageable material.

Review after you have read and taken notes. What are the important points in this chapter?
Can you recite them to yourself without looking at your notes? Say them out loud again.
Congratulations, you have made it! Now where is that test or that graded recitation?

Take study breaks. Have you been trying to make out what that paragraph is saying for the
past ten minutes without any success? It is small wonder, you have been studying for four
hours straight! It is time for a ten-minute break. Go to the kitchen and get something to eat.
This break will give your brain its much-needed rest.

Your mind can function efficiently only for so long, and then it starts to slow down. However,
a word of caution: do not take too many breaks. Study breaks are necessary to reduce fatigue
and to recharge your mental battery, but they should not be used as an excuse for not
studying.

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Have you had your snack? Have you gotten that nagging cramp off your back? Have you
given your legs some stretching? Get back to your study desk at once. Your ten-minute break
is up!

 Activity. Let us see how well you understood what you just read for the past several
minutes. Do you think you can answer all these questions below?
1. Why do you need to study in a quiet place?

2. What do you mean by “getting into a study frame of mind”?

3. How can you motivate yourself to do something “boring” like studying?

4. To ensure your understanding of an assigned reading task, what should you do

before starting to read?

5. How can you reduce a very long assignment into a manageable size?

6. Exactly when are you ready for a test or a graded recitation?

7. What do you mean by “Now where is that test or that graded recitation?” in the sixth
study tip?

8. How often do you think you should take breaks while studying? Why?

 Brief Lesson. Reading Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension strategies can be categorized and labeled in different ways but some
of the most common are:

1. Skimming
2. Scanning
3. Extensive reading
4. Intensive reading
5. Visualizing
6. Monitoring and repairing understanding
7. Synthesizing
8. Determining important ideas
9. Inferring
10. Using background knowledge
11. Questioning

Reading strategies to be employed depend largely on the type of text you read. Each
genre of text requires you to use a different set of strategies for accessing its information. The
least among the rules to follow includes:

 Derive meaning on three different levels: literal (understanding the information

written on the page), inferential (reading “between the lines”), and evaluation
(making judgments and conclusions about the information).

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Narratives

“What’s your story? Stories are compasses and architectures: we navigate by them. .. To love
someone is to put yourself in their place, which is to put yourself in their story, or figure out
how to tell yourself their story” -Rebecca Solnit, The Faraway Nearby

What is your favorite story? List at least three (3) reasons why you consider that story
your favorite. Think of how you can persuade your classmates to read and, at the very least,
like it as well. Retell is as if you are the author him/herself. Let your imagination guide you in
your retelling; unleash your inner bard and let your actions supplement the spoken word.

Narration, in its bases definition, is storytelling. It is a sequence of events, not

necessarily arranged in chronological order, told by a narrator, happening in a particular
place at a particular time. Narration is creating a world base on the writer’s imagination. It is
also revisiting a world based on the author’s memory. In either case, the reader is aimed to be
transported from one’s real world to the reality of the story being read.

An effective narrative is that which makes the reader think and compel him/her to
read the narrative again. To achieve this effectiveness, writers should make sure that their
narratives have a vivid description of details, a consistent point of view and verb tense, and a
well-defined point or significance.

What was the last remarkable event that happened to you today? Maybe you had a
delicious and sumptuous breakfast before going to school, which may have contributed much
to your good performance in class. For the first period, during recitation, you had given such
an insightful answer that both your teacher and classmates were clearly impressed. In
another class, a few hours later, you learn that you had scored high in your last long exam
and your crush congratulated you for it. Wouldn’t you want to share these stories, if someone
would ask how your day went? Or maybe there has yet a remarkable event to happen to you
today. Maybe today is just like any other typical weekday of mandatory lessons, discussions,
and exercises. So between classes and during recess, you catch yourself spacing out and
daydreaming of adventures in far-off places. You dream of being a warrior, going on a quest
with fellow humans and talking animals, riding magic-induced modes of transportation,
fighting monsters at least twice your size, and ultimately saving worlds that, grateful to you
for restoring peace and order, shower you with treasures unfathomable to the human mind.
Wouldn’t you want to embark on such a quest, or at the very least, weave such a tale, when
given the golden opportunity to do so? All the remedy you need in times of boredom is your
imagination. Run away with it and see what happens.

Telling a story, whether real or fictional, is what you do in narratives. You use your
memory and imagination to not just create stories, but also to interpret them. Any narrative
has to have vivid description of details, consistent point of view and verb tense, and a well-
defined point or significance. The most effective narratives do not just have vividness,

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consistency and significance; they are those which continuously pique the reader’s curiosity,
tickle one’s imagination, and leave an indelible mark in the reader’s memory.

Enriching Vocabulary

Look for the meaning of the boldfaced word among the choices below the statement. The clue
in the sentence will guide you.

1. The farmer raised an eyebrow, then threw me an amused cynical look.

a) Caring b) questioning c.) encouraging

2. I realized that the good name handed down to me by my father could bestow a capital
of goodwill.

a) Shower b) invest) c) give

3. A good name is of immense value which money cannot buy.

a.) rare b.) great c.) measurable

4. The idea that I had to request for credit dampened my high spirits so I moved on with
drooping shoulders.

a.) Reduced b.) bolstered c. ) lifted

The Power of A Good Name

My heart sang like a bird every time my father sent me out to do something. Running errands
was an enjoyable task for me because for sure I could use the family car. At 16, I like nothing
better than getting behind the wheels of our Chevy pick up for I felt I held the world in my
hand during such moments. But one summer, my father sent me to buy on credit some wire
and fencing materials for our farm. The idea dampened my spirits . I started the car lamely
and with drooping shoulders got it moving slowly towards the General Store.

Sixteen is the prideful age when a young man needs respect, not charity. He asserts himself,
argues with others, about almost anything and looks at the world straight in the eye. “I know
what I’m doing” is his favorite expression.

I couldn’t run the car as usual. My heart pounded faster and my feet were cold as I drew
nearer the store. My family was honest. We paid our debts. But before the harvest, cash was
short. Would the storeowner trust us? I had seen my friends ask for credit and stand heads
bowed, as the owner questioned whether “they were good for it.” I was scared.

At the General store, Standing behind the behind the cash register, the storeowner was
talking to a middle-aged farmer- a tall weathered man in red shirts and blue pants. When I
brought my purchases to the counter, I said sheepishly, I “I need to put this on credit, Mr.
David.” I held my breath for his reaction. The farmer raised an eyebrow, then threw me an
amused cynical look. But Mr. David’s face didn’t change a bit. “Sure, he said easily with a
firm nod of his head. “Your daddy has always been good for it,” he continued and turning

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the paper to the farmer, nodded nodded in a friendly manner, “He is Sotero Garcia’s son. I
was filled with pride. Those three word opened a door to an adult’s respect and trust.

That day I realized that a good name could bestow a capital of goodwill of immense value to
a man. The good name of my father and mother earned for our whole family the respect of
our neighbors. A good name and the responsibility that came with it forced us children to be
better than we otherwise might have been. I heaved a sigh, smiled and walked with head up
high.

Many of today’s youth have failed. They were born to families with poor reputation, not
caring about keeping a good name.

Adapted, Williams 37

Comprehension

1. What task did the young man in the selection enjoy doing? Why?

2. What dampened his spirits?

3. Why do you suppose did the farmer raise his eyebrow and cynically smile when the
young man was requesting for credit?

4. Is there really power in good name? Support your answer.

5. Does it necessarily follow that children of well respected- families turn out good?

Cite examples

Developing Reading Skills

1. Inferring

Inferring is a reading skill that is done by making an opinion based on given facts. Inferences
are conclusions drawn from “reading between the lines” on order to get the idea suggested
by the author.

Inference: Sotero Garcia’s name was as good as cash to the storeowner. Therefore, he must
have been a very good debtor in that store.

2. The narrative makes use of signal words which are connectives that link the idea
of the previous sentence to the succeeding one. They can signal addition time
space, illustration, change of direction or conclusion to help the reader follow the
sequence of events in the narrative.

Take notes from controversial event. Discuss your views from those articles.

Application

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Interview an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). If they are abroad, reach them
through phone, through social media (e.g. Facebook, email, Twitter, etc.), or through any
other creative means you can think of. If they are here in the country, go to them and speak to
them yourself. Ask them about their experiences abroad. How do you cope with being away
from your family for a very long time? What do you Instagram when you talk to your loved
ones? How does it feel like to go home?

Write a narrative essay about your interview with an OFW and also about your realizations
about the Filipino diaspora.

For inspiration, you may want to watch the video Coca-Cola Where Will Happiness
Strike Next: The OFW Project on Youtube to have a clearer idea of what you want to write in
your essay.

Descriptive Texts

Presenting Impressions

The human mind is not merely a logical thinking machine. Because of our emotional

make-up, we react with shock to a photo of battered victim of child abuse. We feel stirrings of

nostalgia upon hearing a song from our past. We smile with satisfaction when quenching our

summer thirst with cold cola from the vending machine. Responses like these, as much as the

ability to think rationally, help define the human make up.

Many occasions call for description. Your chemistry instructor might ask you to characterize

the appearance and odor of a series of substances prepared in the laboratory; your humanities

instructor might want you to describe a painting; your professional education instructor
might

request you to describe your first day of practice teaching. On the job, an engineer might

describe the design and specifications of an awarded government bridge contract; a nurse

might describe the post-operative status of a survival patient; and a photojournalist might

describe the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. All are attempt to capture the world through
description.

PURPOSE

Description presents a verbal portrait of a person, place, or thing. It can be used to enrich
other

forms of writing or as a dominant strategy for developing a picture of a subject. Sometimes

description stands alone; sometimes it enriches other writing. It appears in histories and

biographies, fiction and poetry, journalism and advertising and occasionally even in technical

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writing. Some descriptions merely create images and mood, as when a writer paints a word

picture of an ancient ritual. But description can also stimulate understanding or lead to
action.. And everyone knows the

persuasive power of advertising’s descriptive enticements.

Description will provide effective backup for the writing you do in your composition classes,

helping you to drive home your points vividly.

The paragraph below will illustrate how a student describes his teachers using vivid
language.

THE BEST TEACHERS FOR ME

In the past thirteen years of my schooling. I have encountered so many types of

teachers. And to the fullest of my ability to know their style of teaching and handling
students,

there are only few that impressed me and really bring out the best in me.

I will never forget my teacher in my high school days. She is Ms. Gemma Bungubung.

She always states her points clearly and makes sure that all her students learned what she

discussed. She respects you the way you respect her. For me she is the best teacher until I

went into college and met this teacher named Romulo Ignacio. Right on the very first day I
met

him, I was amazed with the way he talks. As I have heard some of his beliefs in life. I said to
my

self “this is the person that I want to be”. Very calm, composed even in great emtotions,
knows

the purpose of his doings with a great sense of humor, a man of substance and a person who

gains respect not by his age or profession but with the “being” that he has.

If I am going to compare Mr. Ignacio with Ms. Bungubong, I can say that both of them

already know their purpose in life. Ms. Bungubong like Mr. Romulo knows how to give
respect

to their students. Mr. Ignacio is similar to Ms. Bungubong who knows how to break the ice in

the classroom. But there are also differences between them that made me see in Mr. Romulo a

better teacher than Ms. Bungubong. Ms. Bungubong sometimes uses sensible words beyond

the reach of what she’s doing, making some of her words questionable unlike Mr. Ignacio
who

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just says words of wisdom that he himself already proved true based from his experience.
Ms.

Bungubong’s way of giving respect to her students sometimes lose her image of authority

while Mr. Ignacio keeps the look of the boss even when he’s joking in class.

I know every person has his or her own weaknesses but if ever the time comes that I see one

of Mr. Ignacio’s, it will just show me the human in him and prove the possibility that I can be

like him, My favorite teacher.

Ace B. Santos

BSN 1, Blk 5/SY 2003-2004

We s l e y a n U n i v e r s i t y -

Philippines

Study how the description proceeds.

Sample A

The painting, a 5 ½ by 4 foot canvass, had hung above the sideboard in the dining room for
the better part of sixty years. The canvass was in dark with yellow brown varnish and a thick
film of dust and grease. The grime obscured many of the details of the painting somehow the
curator recognized both the composition and the hand of the painter. In the center was the
figure of Judas, still leaning forward after that infamous kiss, his hand on the shoulder of
Jesus Christ. To the right of Judas were soldiers light gleaming off water armors. And in the
upper right corner, difficult to discern, was an onlooker holding a lantern. A closer look
revealed a bronze plaque at the bottom of the frame identifying the painting as the betrayal of
Christ one of the sixty missing masterpieces of the great painter, Michaelangelo Marisi de
Caravaggio

Adapted, Harr 90

Comprehension

1. Match the boldfaced word with its meaning on the right

Obscure the details notorious, disgraceful

Quite discernible cover, conceal

Infamous kiss piece of metal

Plaque at the bottom can be seen

2. What was the condition of the painting when it was found?

3. Whose figure was indiscernible?

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4. What do you know about the infamous kiss?

5. What is the theme or topic of the painting?

Application

Select a clear example that illustrates what you wish to describe.

Describe your first impression about the school where you are now officially enrolled? What’s
the difference from your former environment?

Definitions

“Every new concept first comes to the mind in a new judgment” - Charles Sanders Peirce

One of the most complicated concepts to explain in words is emotions. What is happiness?
How do you know when you are happy? Do the things that make you happy, also make
other people happy? Below is the table in which seven emotions are listed. Enumerate the
things or events that make you feel the following emotions.

Happiness Sadness Anger Nervousness Excitement Jealousy

When was the last time you consulted a dictionary which did you try to find? When
you found the meaning of the word in the dictionary, did you understand its definition?
Have you used that word both in writing and in speech? Do other people understand the
meaning of a word the same way you do?

Say you are writing an essay on the concept of “love”. Would you consult the
dictionary for its denotation? Or would you define it base on what you know of it, without
consulting any other resource material? Would you consider including a connotation, or
what other things people associate with “love” that are not necessarily defined by a

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dictionary? Do you think people would have the same understanding of “love”? If not why
do you say so?

Understanding the meaning of words can be a tricky business, because language is

dynamic; language continuously changes. As the world and the people living in it change; so
do words and its meanings change. People have idiosyncratic interpretations of concepts;
each one of us has different backgrounds and personalities that determine how we
understand words. This is why defining is essential. It enables us to better understand words,
and, in turn, makes other people understand what we mean. Defining is trying exploring,
and discovering the different aspects of a particular concept. Most of the time, a definition
first comes into mind as an observation-a mere judgement of a perceived concept, eventually
evolving into other meanings as the person who perceives, the concept changes. It is also
knowing what other concepts are associated with a word, what it is not, what it is like,
what are its causes and effects, and what are some of its examples. Ultimately, defining is
expressing how one perceives a word based on his/her own personal experiences.

A. Enriching Vocabulary

Check the word whose meaning is nearest to the boldfaced word.

1. Enzymes are the foundation of life itself.

- elements. -bases

-principal parts. - supporters

2. Enzymes help some of our organs in their eliminative tasks, removing of poisonous waste

from the body.

-excretive -perspiratory

-secretory -inhibitive

3. Fresh raw food grown in mineral-depleted soil does not supply us with the nutrients we

need.

-drained -chemically treated

-sustained -dry

4. Supplementary enzymes are necessary in optimizing the digestion of fats, carbohydrates

and proteins.

-stabilizing -regulating

-maximizing -facilitating

B. Reading the Selection

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The title of the selection is “Enzymes, Anyone?”. What do you think is the selection about? If

you were asked to rephrase the title what would it be?

Enzymes, Anyone?

Enzymes are the foundation of life itself, they say, but what are enzymes? What do they do to

our system? Are they important to life and living? Enzymes are body substances that help

every bodily function, from nerve impulses to the regulation of hormones. They aid in

converting the prepared food into new muscles, flesh, bone, nerves and glands. They also

work with the liver, helping it store excess food for future energy and building needs. They

further assist the kidneys, lungs, skin, and colon in their eliminative tasks

The nutrients obtained from the food we eat can only be used by the body if they are properly

digested. Enzymes play a big part in carrying out such process. They break down the

carbohydrates, fats, proteins we eat into smaller pieces so that the nutrients can pass from the

small intestines into the bloodstream. The enzyme proteases digest proteins proteins;

amylases digest starch; and lipases fats. The first secretion of a digestive enzyme occurs as

you are chewing, when salivary amylase, the enzyme that breaks down starch , is secreted in

the mouth, this enzyme activity is one of the important reasons for thoroughly chewing for
your

food before swallowing it so that digestion gets a good start with the digestion of starch. On

the other hand, the digestion of fats and protein does not start in the mouth but in the
digestive

tract with the secretion of proteases and lipases.

A diet containing a sufficient amount of fresh raw fruits and vegetables would normally
supply

our bodies with the enzymes they need. However, most enzymes are quickly destroyed
during

the heating and cooking processes. Even fresh raw food cannot help us with the enzymes we

need because the plants (where this raw food comes from) are grown in mineral-depleted
soil;

hence it does not have the necessary enzymes that our body needs. Moreover, raw food

continually exposed to enzyme inhibitors like fluoride and chlorine water. Enzyme
insufficiency

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may furthermore be aggravated by age. As a person gets older, the build- up along his
arterial

walls could result in the reduction of enzyme, nutrients and oxygen reaching various body

organs.

Therefore, because several conditions interfere with activation of digestive enzymes, and
while

other conditions may involve failure of the body to produce the necessary enzymes,

supplementation of enzymes is found to be most effective in optimizing the digestion of fats,

carbohydrates and proteins. Research reveals supplemental enzymes can help when the body

has trouble producing natural enzymes. One of the good enzyme supplements is pancreatin.
It

contains enzymes, chiefly amylase, trypsin and lipase, which have the same action as the

enzyme of the pancreatic juice. This is obtained from the pancreas of an ox or hog. Another

enzyme supplement is bromelain, a sulfuric containing a powerful protein-digesting enzyme

obtained from the pineapple. Also there is trypsin, a proteolytic enzyme that is of special

importance for the utilization of milk. Lastly, chymotrypsin, a pancreatic proteinas, acts on

inactive proteins. It is often obtained from food rich in proteins.

Without sufficient enzymes, our bodies go unfed, proper nutrients are not absorbed and cell

tissues are starved. Therefore, we should strive to eat an enzyme-rich diet to achieve
optimum

health.

Comprehending the Selection

1. Aside from bringing about good digestion, how do enzymes help our body function well?

2. Why do we sometimes fail to get the enzymes that our body needs?

3. Explain the following lines:

a. Enzymes are the foundation of life itself.

b. As we get older, a build up along our arterial walls could result in reduction of

enzymes, nutrients and oxygen reaching various organs.

c. Without sufficient enzymes, our bodies go unfed, proper nutrients are not absorbed

and cell tissues are starved.

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4. If you are asked to talk about enzymes, what pointers should you include to ensure the

maximum production of enzymes needed by the body?

5. Based on the reading selection, why is it important to see a doctor even if were not sick?

6. Give examples of affordable-priced enzyme rich food.

C. Developing Reading skills

Identifying the Main Ideas

The Main idea is the most important thought the author aims to

develop. The main idea, as discussed in the introductory lesson, is

contained in the topic sentence which may be stated or implied.

Read the paragraphs in the reading selection which contain the following main ideas

a. It gives the definition of enzymes.

b. Our body produces thousands of different enzymes and each one has a different
functions

c. If the body lacks enzymes, it is likely to malfunction.

d. As a person ages, the production of enzymes is reduced.

Comparison and Contrast

“There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.” - Charles
Dickens

When was the last time you needed and /or wanted to buy something? What were
the choices you were presented with? Say, you want a new mobile phone. Would you buy the
latest Iphone or a nifty Nokia phone? How about a laptop? Would you get an ASUS notebook
or a MacBook Air? Or in choosing which institution of higher learning would you enroll in
after high school, would you choose to take your degree course in a university considered the
most reputable in the country or in another university offering the same course but has less
expensive tuition fee. On which grounds would you base your decision?

Whenever you make a choice, whether trivial or serious, you’re actually doing some
sort of a comparison and contrast. Comparison entails dealing with the similarities or
likeness of at least two subjects. Contrast, on the other hand, is tackling the differences
between or among topics. Comparison and contrast are complementary to each other and are
usually inseparable. One cannot see similarities without seeing the differences as well, and
vice versa. An Iphone and a Nokia phone, by comparison, are both phones. By contrast,

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however, they differ in manufacturer, appearance, price, and make. The concept of
similarities and differences applies with laptops and universities as well. All you have to do is
base your opinion on the differences and decide from there which of the options presented is
better suited to your need and liking.

Reading Selection

Fathering is unlike mothering. True enough it is, even before the child is born While the
expectant mother is busy reading about Lamaze birthing and breastfeeding, finding suitable
clothing and baby accessories, worrying about the nursery and color coordinating it, the
expectant father is engrossed in his hobby book on fishing , tennis, or basketball and is
worried about his car that conked out just the day before. Then come the labor pains that rock
the mother’s whole being and the delivery that shocks her senses. The father, all the while, is
an spectator offering comfort and absorbing the screams. Furthermore, the attachment
processes are also different. A mother is concerned about the practical care of feeding and
washing the child, while a father plays rough and tumble with kid. Mother provides more of
the verbal stimulation; however, father communicates more physically. The mother provides
the warmth and comfort of the home, on the other hand, the father sees after the financial
security of family. Yes, fathering and mothering are in many ways different, but both
complement each other.

Adapted, GSKoo G 1

Comprehension

1. Whose roles are compared?

2. At what staged do the fathering and mothering roles start?

3. How does a mother prepare for a coming of a child? What concerns usually pre-
occupy a father at this stage?

4. After birth, what are the mother’s usual concerns? The father’s?

5. In rearing stage, who provides the verbal development of the child? The physical
development?

6. What could be the possible effect on the child if parenting were the sole responsibility
of the mother? The father?

7. Compare the role of the mother and the father on the following aspects:

Basis of comparison Concerns of the father Concerns of the mother

Before the birth of the child

(birth)

During the birth of the child

(growth)

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After the birth of the child

(growth)

8. What signal words indicate contrast?

Application

Write a comparative essay on one of the topics below or any other that your professor
approves. Emphasize similarities, differences, or both.

a. Parents vs. teachers as educators

b. The physical or mental demands of two jobs

c. Online classes or face to face interactions

Classification

“In nature only individuals exist, while genera, orders and classes only exist in our
imagination.”

How do you review for a quiz, a test, or an exam? Do you reread all your notes? Do
you borrow your classmates’ notes as well? Do you consult resource materials such as books,
journal articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, online sources, etc.? Do you ask your
teacher for a review day or mock exam? Do you enlist the help of a personal tutor? Do you do
all these things and a lot more, or do you NOT review at all? Maybe you’re just simply
confident in what you know and so you rely solely on stock knowledge. Whatever’s the case,
there has to be a way for you to organize your notes and your own thoughts, out of
convenience’s sake, in preparation for the exam.

Reading Selection

Different strokes for different folks, is how some CEO (chief executive officers) described their
management approach. Ricardo B. Aguas Jr., Vice- President for operations at Selecta Dairy
products, believes in situational leadership. He names his four styles in dealing with people
as directing, coaching, supporting and delegating. For example, if there is a motivated person
who lacks the confidence to do work, he directs and gives instructions. For efficient coaching,
he empowers the workers to build their competence and confidence and energizes them to
work. Then if there is a competent person but he is not confident enough nor does he know
how to implement a project, Aguas supports him by further discussion and preparation as
the worker approaches a problem on his own. To those who are motivated and know what to
do, Aguas delegates the work, spelling out the desired results, accountability, consequences
and resources. Because workers have different strengths and weaknesses, Aguas believes that
the key to successful management is knowing one’s people.

Comprehension

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1. Study the meanings of the boldfaced words

Situational leadership with respect to position, physical surrounding or

circumstances

Empowers workers authorizes, licenses

Spell out accountability responsibility

Delegate work assign, entrust

2. What are Aguas’ four styles of dealing with people?

3. How does he go about these different styles?

4. Explain: Different strokes for different folks. ”Do you agree with the idea? Why?

Analyzing the structure of the paragraph

Unity

1. What is talked about (topic)

2. What does the author say about strokes? (topic sentence)

3. What are the key words in the topic sentence? (controlling idea)

4. How does he adapt these styles to different workers for effective management?
(supporting details)

Coherence

1. What paragraph order is used?

2. What is the basis of classification?

3. What signal words are used?

Evaluation

Read several authors’ views on success and the write a paper that draws on these sources
and classify their content.

Reflect on essays that your instructor will give you and then write a paper that presents an
appropriate classification system for them.

Causal analysis

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“Shallow men believe in luck and in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect’
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you like travelling? Whether local or abroad? Do you like flying or riding a water
vehicle to other islands, to other countries, to other continents? Or do you prefer more to
catch a train, a bus, an FX, a taxi, a jeepney, a tricycle, even a pedicab; or to ride your own,
car, motorcycle, a bicycle, a skateboard, even a wheelchair; or to simply walk around, to
explore your immediate surroundings? What pushes you to move from one location to
another? If none of the aforementioned modes of transportation appeal much to you, how
else would you like to move around? Or would you prefer to stay put where you are and not
travel altogether? Why would you choose this option?

Answering the question above puts you in a situation where you unconsciously
doing Casual Analysis. Casual Analysis means identifying the causes and effects of a
particular situation, event, or phenomenon. It is born out of the inherent human characteristic
of wanting to make connections and to understand reasons. A cause is what prompted
something to happen. An effect is what was yielded after something else took place.

One practical application of Casual Analysis as a mode of paragraph development is

a Problem-Solution type of paper. In this example, the problem is usually the cause and the
solution the effect. In other instances, the problem could also be the effect of another event
and/or the solution could be the cause of another. In either case, the situation can result to a
casual chain in which multiple sets of cause and effects are somehow connected to each
other.

On the situation of choosing whether or not to travel, answering the question “What
pushes you to move from one location to another, or to stay put?” is analyzing the cause of
your decision to travel. What you do after choosing to travel or to stay put, on the other hand,
is analyzing the effects–or consequences–of your decision.

Sample Reading

Urbanization, which results from modernizations, poses many problems. The first of these
problems is the overcrowding of urban centers since more and more people are attracted to
the cities. As a consequence, more people try to occupy the space which , in normal
situations, would be occupied by only a few. Related to overcrowding is the lack of housing.
Urbanization creates an imbalance in the housing facilities available and in the number of
people who need shelter. As a result, squatter areas begin to sprout. Another offshoot of
overcrowding is poor sanitation. Since there are several families living in a small area, proper
hygiene cannot be observed. In effect, many suffer from illness and the spread of disease
cannot be controlled. Furthermore, because families flock to the cities, there are not enough
opportunities for employment. Urbanization does cause problems , therefore, it should be
planned, otherwise, it would negate its purpose -modernization.

Comprehension

1. The meaning of the boldfaced word are on the right. Use the boldfaced words in your
own sentences.

1. Problems of urbanization a. state of cityhood

2. Poor sanitation b. clean disposal

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3. Flock to cities c. move

4. Negate its purpose d. reject

2. Diagram the cause and effect relationships of urbanization.

3. What are negative effects of urbanization?

4. What words signal cause and effect?

Use the topics below or another that your professor approves to develop a causal analysis.

1. How does social network impact personal safety

2. E- learning is a threat to standard education

3. Online shopping leads to additional financial risk

4. Cause and effect of social media addiction

5. Covid -19 effects on economy

Persuasive Texts

“He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right
word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense.”-Joseph
Conrad

A classmate comes up to you and accuses you of stealing her money. She even adds angrily
that the amount she claims that is stolen from her is just enough for her to commute going
home after classes. Naturally, assuming you didn’t steal anything, you would deny it. Your
classmate doesn’t believe you, saying that you were the only person in the room when she
found out she lost her money. Plus you’re her seatmate and you’re the nearest one to her bag
where her money is, she adds. Assuming again, that her arguments are right, how would you
defend yourself?

 Appeal to logic

 Appeal to your classmate

 Appeal to your credibility

Whatever your plan of action might be, you have unknowingly defined the three appeals
used to defend an argument or claim. Appealing to logic, or to known facts generally
accepted as the truth is known as logos. Appealing to the emotions-particularly pity of your
listener, on the other hand, is utilizing pathos. Last is appealing to your credibility or to what
your listener already knows about you, is what is called ethos.

It is your choice which of the three aforementioned you would utilize to defend your
situation. However, a good strategy is to combine all these appeals (logos, pathos, and ethos)
to establish yourself as someone who did not commit any misdeed. Assuming that you are
successful in convincing your classmate that it was not you who stole her money, what you

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can do is to help her find money she can use to commute later after class, and discover who
the culprit is-if there is one anyway.

As for who stole the money, or however peculiar way it got lost, is another story
altogether.

Post-Assessment.

Read and answer the questions that follow.

A stout old lady was walking with her basket down the middle of a street in Petrogad
to the great confusion of the traffic and with no small peril to herself. It was pointed out to her
that the pavement was the place for pedestrians, but she replied: ‘I’m going (5) to walk where
I like. We’ve got liberty now. ‘It did not occur to the dear old lady that if liberty entitled the
pedestrian to walk down the middle of the road, then the end of such liberty would be
universal chaos. Everybody would be getting in everybody else’s way and nobody would get
anywhere. (10) Individual liberty would have become social anarchy.

There is a danger of the world getting liberty-drunk in these days like the old lady
with the basket, and it is just as well to remind ourselves of what the rule of the road means.
It means that in order that the liberties of all may be preserved, the (15) liberties of everybody
must be curtailed when the policeman, say, at Piccadilly Circus steps into the middle of the
road and puts out his hand, he is the symbol not of tyranny, but of liberty. You may not think
so. You may, being in a hurry, and seeing your car pulled up by this insolence of office, feel
that your (20) liberty has been outraged. How dare this fellow interfere with your free use of
the public highway? Then, if you are a reasonable person, you will reflect that if he did not
interfere with you, he would interfere with no one, and the result would be that Piccadilly
Circus would be a maelstrom that you would never (25) cross at all. You have submitted to a
curtailment of private liberty in order that you may enjoy a social order which makes your
liberty a reality.

Liberty is not a personal affair only, but a social contract. It is an accommodation of

interests. In matters which do 30) not touch anybody else’s liberty, of course, I may be as free
as I like. If I choose to go down the road in a dressing-gown who shall say me nay? You have
liberty to laugh at me, but I have liberty to be indifferent to you. And if I have fancy for
dyeing (35) wearing an overcoat and sandals, or going to bed late or getting up early, I shall
follow my fancy and ask no man’s permission. I shall not inquire of you whether I may eat
mustard with my mutton. And you will not ask me whether you may follow this religion or
that, whether you may prefer Ella Wheeler Wilcox to (40) Wordsworth, or champagne to
shandy.

In all these and a thousand other details you and I please ourselves and ask no one’s
leave. We have a whole kingdom in which we rule alone, can do what we choose, be wise or
ridiculous, harsh or easy, conventional or odd. But directly we (45) step out of that kingdom,
our personal liberty of action becomes qualified by other people’s liberty. I might like to
practice on the trombone from midnight till three in the morning. If I went on to the top of
Everest to do it, I could please myself, but if I do it in my bedroom my family will object, and
if I do it out in the streets (50) the neighbors will remind me that my liberty to blow the
trombone must not interfere with their liberty to sleep in quiet. There are a lot of people in the
world, and I have to accommodate my liberty to their liberties.

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We are all liable to forget this, and unfortunately we are much (55) more conscious of
the imperfections of others in this respect than of our own. A reasonable consideration for the
rights or feelings of others is the foundation of social contact. It is in the small matters of
conduct, in the observance of the rule of the road, that we pass judgement upon ourselves,
and (60) declare that we are civilized or uncivilized. The great moments of heroism and
sacrifice are rare. It is the little habits of commonplace intercourse that make up the great sum
of life and sweeten or make bitter the journey. - Adapted from an essay by George Orwell.

1. The author might have stated his ‘rule of the road’ as

A. Do not walk in the middle of the road

B. Follow the orders of policemen

C. Do not behave inconsiderately in public

D. Do what you like in private

E. Liberty is more important than anarchy

2. The author’s attitude to the old lady in paragraph one is

A. Condescending

B. Intolerant

C. Objective

D. Sardonic

E. Supportive

3. The sentence ‘It means… curtailed’ (lines 13-15) is an example of

A. Hyperbole

B. Cliché

C. Simile

D. Paradox

E. Consonance

4. Which sentence best sums up the author’s main point?

A. There is a danger… lines 11-13

B. A reasonable… lines 56-57

C. It is in the small matter… lines 58-60

D. The great moments… lines 60-61

E. It is the title… lines 61-63

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5. A situation analogous to the ‘insolence of office’ described in paragraph 2 would

be

A. A teacher correcting grammar errors

B. An editor shortening the text of an article

C. A tax inspector demanding to see someone’s accounts

D. An army office giving orders to a soldier

E. A gaoler locking a prisoner

6. ‘Qualified’ (line 46) most nearly means

A. Accredited

B. Improved

C. Limited

D. Stymied

Educated

7. The author assumes that he may be as free as he likes in

A. All matters of dress and food

B. Any situation which does not interfere with the liberty of others

C. Anything that is not against the law

D. His own home

E. Public place as long as no one sees him

8. In the sentence ‘We are all liable…’ (lines 54-56) the author is

A. Pointing out a general weakness

B. Emphasizing his main point

C. Countering a general misconception

D. Suggesting a remedy

E. Modifying his point of view

References

Feliciano, Princess. Et.al (2017). Study and Thinking Skills. Valenzuela City. Mutya
Publishing House

Avila, Cruz, Trajano (2003) Essentials of English. Valenzuela City: Mutya Publishing
House Inc. http://owl.english.purdue.edu

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Rodriguez Maxine Rafaella C. Tiongsion Marella Therese A. Reading and Writing Skilss
Recto Rex Book Store 

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